A support cradle or stand is provided for a computed tomography system. A computed tomography system has such a support cradle or stand. A computed tomography system is an apparatus for generating a three-dimensional image of an object being examined, in particular a patient, using radiological diagnostic methods.
A conventional computed tomography system, of the kind known for instance from European Patent Disclosure EP 0 292 690 A1, includes a rotating body with a central opening, into which the object being examined is positioned. The rotating body includes an X-ray emitter for passing X-radiation through the object being examined, and an X-ray detector, diametrically opposite the X-ray emitter, for making an X-ray image. The rotating body is supported rotatably on a support cradle. By rotating the rotating body, the object being examined can be exposed to radiation from many directions. From the information in the X-ray images, a three-dimensional image of the object being examined is created using electronic data processing.
The dissipation of the heat that occurs in the X-ray emitter and the X-ray detector may be difficult. Local air cooling, for instance by a fan, may be used only to a limited extent if at all in a computed tomography system. The draft necessarily created is unwanted for health reasons. Supplying and evacuating a gaseous or liquid coolant using rigid or flexible coolant lines may be complicated and expensive, especially since such lines must not hinder the required rotatability of the rotating body.
For this reason, a computed tomography system is often equipped with a complex cooling system. For instance, from the aforementioned EP 0 292 690 A1, a computed tomography system is known. A first cooling loop cools the X-ray emitter. The first cooling loop exchanges the absorbed heat with a second cooling loop, which is placed partly in an annular chamber formed between the rotating body and the support cradle. Cooling air flows through the annular chamber, and this cooling air is itself cooled by means of a third cooling loop, which is water-driven.
From German Patent Disclosure DE 42 17 874 A1, a mobile radiological diagnostic system is also known. An X-ray emitter and an X-ray detector are secured, diametrically opposite one another, on a support cradle that includes a C-arch. For cooling the X-ray emitter, a double hose is provided, which extends partly inside the support cradle.